The Weardale Museum

What They Do

The Weardale Museum is situated in the Heart of Weardale. This is run entirely by volunteers  who enjoying sharing stories about its history and traditions. One of the places they highlight is High House Chapel, the oldest Methodist Chapel that has been in ongoing use. In addition, they also assist families in discovering more about their ancestors from Weardale through the family history research services.

We are a small, independent  museum who is ran entirely by volunteers. We work hard to meet the quality standards set by the Arts Council for England.

The Weardale Museum is a small and dedicated to preserving and showcasing the heritage and history of the Weardale region. Ran by dedicated volunteers, the museum emphasizes local history such as lead mining, Methodism, and traditional crafts.

The Weardale Museum Events

There are wide range of talks throughout each month with different subjects regarding to the museum. These dates  and address can be found online with a fee of £5 per talking session.

Getting Here

You can reach the venue by car. It is located next to the A689 road, between Stanhope and Alston, right in the heart of the North Pennines. It’s just about an hour’s drive from Tyneside, Teesside, and the Lake District

By Bus
Weardale Motor Services offers a regular bus service around Weardale, but it doesn’t run on Sundays or Bank Holidays.

Children: Free for anyone under 18.

Adults: The regular price is £4.50 per person. If you’re eligible for gift aid, it costs £5.00 per person.

Accessibility at The Weardale Museum

The Weardale Museum has several accessibility features to accommodate visitors with different needs:

• Wheelchair Access: The ground floor is accessible to wheelchairs, but the upstairs galleries are only reachable by stairs. However, large display books and digital resources are available to showcase upstairs exhibits.
• Entrance & Reception: There is a small step  at the main entrance, but wheelchair users can enter through a wider door . A hearing loop system is available at reception.
• Toilets: A unisex disabled toilet is available near the entrance, with easy-to-use taps, a coat hook, and a low-level mirror.
• Parking & Transport: A small car park is located behind the museum, and visitors can unload at the door. The 101 bus service stops about 25 meters from the museum.
• Guide Dogs: Assistance dogs are welcome, but non-working pet dogs are not permitted.
• Lighting & Displays: The museum uses daylight and spotlights for exhibits. Display boards use large fonts for readability.

facilities

• Exhibition Spaces: Displays on lead mining, Methodism, and local heritage, including the Methodist Tapestries Collection.
• Family History Research: The Weardale People Database contains over 70,000 entries for genealogy research.
• High House Chapel: A historic Methodist chapel undergoing restoration to become a Heritage Centre.
• Gift Shop: A small shop selling books, souvenirs, and local crafts.
• Parking: Limited parking available near the museum, with additional roadside parking nearby.
• Toilets: Accessible toilets available for visitors.
• Accessibility: Ground floor wheelchair access, large-font display boards, and digital resources for upstairs exhibits.

Group Visit Details

– Visits are to last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes each booking allowing time for a guided tour, museum exploration, and  breaks.
– Groups are greeted at the entrance by a staff member, who will provide a formal introduction.
– For groups exceeding 20 participants, arrangements may be made to divide the group into smaller units to ensure an optimal experience.
– One subgroup will participate in the museum exploration, while the other attends an informative talk on the origins of the chapel and the early Methodist movement.
– At the midpoint of the visit, the groups will rotate, providing all participants with the opportunity to engage in both activities.

Contact The Weardale Museum